Defending champions Gujarat Titans failed to defend their title, losing to Chennai Super Kings by five wickets in the IPL 2023 final, at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. The final, which was affected by rain, saw CSK win by five wickets due to DLS method.
Despite the defeat, GT were one of the most consistent teams in IPL 2023 and also finished the league phase on top of the table with 20 points in 14 matches. Speaking to ESPNCricinfo, former Australian cricketer Tom Moody hailed GT and also revealed that he was surprised that they lost in the final.
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"I must admit I was surprised to see GT lose this final. They were my favorites going into it. They had most bases covered in all departments; their batting so strong and diverse and deep. They were also probably the most consistent side throughout the whole season, winning the most amount of games", he said.
After qualifying for the playoffs, GT lost to CSK in Qualifier 1 by 15 runs, which saw MS Dhoni's side enter the final. But then GT got another shot to enter the final and beat MI in Qualifier 2 by 62 runs. "I just wonder whether the first game in the playoffs against Chennai, where they lost that game so significantly, was still at the back of their minds - playing against a side that they knew that had just beaten them up recently. Chennai had their eye on the target and found themselves lifting another trophy", he further added.
{{/usCountry}}After qualifying for the playoffs, GT lost to CSK in Qualifier 1 by 15 runs, which saw MS Dhoni's side enter the final. But then GT got another shot to enter the final and beat MI in Qualifier 2 by 62 runs. "I just wonder whether the first game in the playoffs against Chennai, where they lost that game so significantly, was still at the back of their minds - playing against a side that they knew that had just beaten them up recently. Chennai had their eye on the target and found themselves lifting another trophy", he further added.
{{/usCountry}}Despite the defeat in the final, GT had plenty of positives with Shubman Gill finishing on top of the Purple Cap race with 890 runs in 17 matches packed with three tons and four half-centuries. Meanwhile, Mohammed Shami won the Purple Cap with 28 wickets in 17 games.